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Rayney cop jailed for corruption

Former detective Carl Casilli leaves the Perth Magistrates Court after an earlier court appearance. Picture : Lincoln Baker/The West Australian

A former detective involved in the hunt for the killer of Corryn Rayney, who admitted providing confidential police files to a young female lawyer he was having a relationship with, has been jailed for nine months.

Carl Salvatore Casilli, 42, who has since resigned from the WA police, was sentenced at Perth Magistrate's Court, on the Corruption and Crime Commission charges dating back to 2008.

The former detective sergeant had pleaded guilty to providing police material to the female lawyer, including the police interview of a murder suspect and an affidavit about an intercept warrant.

None of the information related to the Rayney case, but lawyers for Casilli had previously told the court the stress of that investigation had affected the detective's behaviour at the time.

Magistrate Elizabeth Woods said the offences were particularly serious because they eroded the public trust and confidence in the security of the police, and their computer systems.

Casilli was also fined $2000. He smiled thinly as the sentence was revealed, but said nothing.

Prosecutor James MacTaggart earlier told the court how Casilli "shovelled" the information to the lawyer, who was not named, on request - which included police records about herself, and some of her clients.

And he said the acts - which he described as "grossly illegal" - warranted a prison term, and at times undermined the investigations of his police colleagues.

Casilli's lawyer Nick Lemmon denied that assertion, saying in most of the cases of unauthorised access, the information sent to the lawyer was material she could have gained access to through other means.

Mr Lemmon also said that Casilli's behaviour had been partially because he was on a "very difficult assignment, in a very difficult job."

"It became all consuming, and he became quite obsessed - and this led to his being in a difficult place in his personal life," Mr Lemmon said.

Mr Rayney was acquitted of murdering his wife, Corryn, and had attended court during previous appearances of Casilli. He was not present today.